What has happened to everyone?

In the preseason, everyone agreed that this is a rebuilding year. This is a year to evaluate talent, reinstall a physical, focused, and disciplined mindset, and to, for once, let Gene and Jack do their jobs. Just a few days after the Jaguars played better than anyone expected, suddenly everyone is head-over-heels for Tim Tebow, wants to fire Jack Del Rio, hates Derrick Harvey for not getting sacks while making a transition to a 3-4 end (whose job it is to play the run, not get sacks), and generally checked their brains at the door.

What makes Big Cat Country great is that we are supposed to understand that drafting receivers every year is not the way to go. Football starts and ends in the trenches, and without great play from the lines, the rest of the offense and defense both suffer. We are supposed to understand that it's players not plays. We are supposed to understand that no one wants to win more than the coaches, and the coaches know more about football than we ever will - or we'd be on the sidelines instead of them.

Here are some quarterback statistics:

       Cmp/Att     %         Yrds     TDs     INTs     Rushes     Yrds     TDs     Avg/Rush

A     212/325     65.2     3036      26       10            155      1050      12       6.77

B     192/298     64.4     2747      30        4             176       673       12       3.82

C     214/317     67.5     2952      32        4             135       631       10       4.67

Look at A and B for a second: Both of these quarterbacks won championships, both were regarded as the uncontested leader of their team, both won big games, both are regarded highly for their running, both played in a spread, and both have a weird throwing motion that concerns NFL scouts. Player A, however, has always been considered an NFL QB prospect, while many scouts are just not sure what to think about player B.

Aside from rushing statistics saying that player B is slower, I do not understand what makes player B better than player A. The tangibles and intangibles are all the same. However, when I tell you that player A is Vince Young, and player B is Tim Tebow, suddenly everyone falls into zombie-unity, and proclaims that, "Vince Young is garbage and will never be a big-time NFL quarterback (he won't)". Followed closely by, "Tebow is Steve Young, combined with Namath and Montana, and Unitas and Superman."

It doesn't make sense.

Oh by the way, player C is Alex Smith. He had better passing and rushing statistics and was just as much of a leader at Utah as Tebow is at UF. The difference is that the Ute Nation is not everywhere.

Now here are some coaching statistics:

No, actually no there aren't. You know what, I'm tired of this. People are going to believe what they want to believe. If you think Jack Del Rio is a bad coach, then nothing I say will change your mind. If you think Jack Del Rio is doing everything he can with what he's been given and that absolutely nothing has changed since the end of last season except that the Jaguars have undeniably gotten better and look more disciplined and cohesive and better-coached, then I agree with you.

I am frustrated because I know I have to accept that this year is about progress rather than wins. I've accepted it, but it doesn't make it fun. The only thing that frustrates me more is the fanatical fire-Jack pro-Tebow zombie mob. Like John said, be careful what you wish for, because it might come true, and then this team will be in an even worse place. I don't know where that place is, but it's not Jacksonville.

-Mike Nelson